Being Swan
by CarScat
Summary: Bella thought all the secrets were out. Charlie has been looking into Grandma Swan's stories. All shall be revealed. Chapter 3 rated T.  This is my premiere. Please be kind. Constructive criticism welcome. Spoiler alert! This story is set after BD.
1. Chapter 1

**ALL CHARACTERS AND THE WORLD THEY INHABIT ARE OWNED BY STEPHANIE MEYERS unless otherwise stated.**

**Chapter 1  
**

Charlie watched his line zip back and forth in a graceful curve of cob-web, highlighted by the sun, as he cast out into the calm waters of the mountain lake. He sat, reached for the can of beer on top of the bait box by his left ankle and leaned back into his chair with a sigh of contentment. _Ah_, he thought to himself, _no people!_

Of course, he wasn't alone on the jetty. Billy, his life long friend/ fishing companion/ partner in crime (well… mischief) was sitting next to him, in his wheelchair, with a similar look of contentment on his face. Billy wasn't "people". Billy was practically a member of the family.

Charlies brow pulled down and he winced as the thought expanded to include his daughter and the bombshell secrets she and Jacob had made him privy to. _Was that really a year ago?_ he thought as he remembered Bella's 20th birthday celebration, instigated by Alice, 2 days before.

In some ways it seemed like more time had passed than that. Although, in other ways it felt like a lot of things had happened in a very short space of time, more than should happen in a normal 12 months.

Charlie adored his granddaughter and relished spending as much time as he could with her. He accepted that Renesmee was extraordinary. Somehow, realizing that her rapid growth would rob her of the years of childhood other people had, made him determined to fill the shortened span with as much grandfatherly doting as the little girl would allow.

The rift it had caused in his friendship with Billy had nearly healed at this point. It had hurt to know how long Billy had been lying to him, and about how much. Slowly, however, as Billy had helped him piece together his own family legacy, Charlie had learned to trust his oldest friend once more.

"It's time to tell her, Charlie." Billy, through long association, seemed to be able to read his mind. The only other person perceptive enough to do that was Renee.

"What are you, my wife now?" Charlie grumbled, sourly.

"Nah" Billy laughed "I wouldn't have you, y'ole fart!"

That broke Charlie's pensive mood and they both laughed at the terminal bachelorhood that life and fate at steered them towards. The comfortable silence drew in again, but, before long Charlie's brow furrowed again.

"She needs to hear it from you. You know?" Billy said quietly, "Before she digs too deep."

"Yeah, I know." Charlie took a sip from the can in his hand and watched the surface of the lake as a gust of wind stirred up a few ripples. "I could use some backup. Can I bring her over after?"

"Sure," Billy looked up from the hook he had just baited; it wasn't often that Charlie asked for anything "if you think it'll help."

Billy's line twitched at that moment, diverting their attention back to the lake. Charlie felt more sure of himself now that he had made the decision to tell Bella what he'd found out, and whilst enjoying the rest of the fishing trip, he began to plan.


	2. Chapter 2

**ALL CHARACTERS AND THE WORLD THEY INHABIT ARE OWNED BY STEPHANIE MEYERS unless otherwise stated.**

**Chapter 2**

As he headed toward his darkened house, Charlie was struck again by how lonely the house seemed now that Bella had moved out, though the thought hadn't occurred to him before she had lived there. He was reminded of the emptiness his life took on when Renee had left him, an emptiness he had not quite managed to fill with his job, friends and various hobbies.

He understood now, since he had found out that all the bed time stories his mother had told him were true, why he had returned to Forks after his police training despite having had his pick of placements following extremely high recommendations from his academy. He understood why the lakes and rivers had such a pull, and a hold, on him. Charlie even saw why he hadn't really dated anybody since Renee, and why Bella had taken it so hard when Edward had left.

Billy was right, with Bella's sudden interest in the local histories, of both Forks and La Push, it was only a matter of time before she discovered the deep connection their little family had to the area. It was better that he told her himself.

Charlie thudded up the porch steps. His keys jingled like a jailer's, and he smiled at the small irony, as he opened the door. He stepped inside, stepped out of his boots, stepped automatically across the small expanse of the kitchen floor and stood in the light of the refrigerator as he leaned against it with the door open, peering inside yet not seeing what was available to eat. He gave up when he started to feel the cold and reached for a beer from the door. It was only his second, the rest of the day had been root beer for him and real beer for Billy, since it was Charlie's turn to be designated driver.

He took a long pull on his beer, picked up the receiver and dialled Bella's number.

Charlie waited for the phone to be answered. "Hey, Edward." he said.

Edward was as respectful of his father in law as ever "Hello Chief. How was fishing today?"

"Yeah, it was a good day. Is Bella there?"

"I'll get her for you."

There was a very brief pause and the next voice Charlie heard was his daughters.

"Hi Dad, what's up?" Bella asked.

He was still a little unsettled by the new clearer, almost musical, quality to it.

"Hey Bells. How are you?" chit-chat was never Charlie's strongest point, but it was a way to start a conversation.

"I'm good Dad." Bella replied with a heavy undercurrent of expectation. She knew her father didn't normally bother with banalities. "Good catch today?" she played along knowing Charlie would get to his point as soon as he could.

"Not much biting. Still a good day though"

"Good. I'm glad you had a chance to relax."

"Bells. How would you feel about hanging out with your old man tomorrow? Just you and me?"

"Sure… err… What's brought this on?" Bella's interest was piqued.

"Well, I'm clearing out the attic and I thought you might want to look through some of Grandma Swann's things with me. I know you're interested in the town histories."

"That'd be great!" her tone more eager now "What time do you want me?"

"Oh, whenever you're free, honey" Charlie was relieved.

"Ok Dad. See you in the morning."

"Night Bells. Give Nessie a hug from her Gramps ok?"

Bella laughed her soft laugh "Will do. Bye."

Charlie placed the receiver back on the cradle, drew in a deep breath and puffed it out in a sigh of relief. _Yep_, he thought to himself as he headed toward the sitting room and a game on TV, _start with Grandma's stories_. That was the way to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**ALL CHARACTERS AND THE WORLD THEY INHABIT ARE OWNED BY STEPHANIE MEYERS unless otherwise stated.**

**Rated T due to mild sexual innuendo.  
**

**Chapter 3**

Bella

Renesmee, Edward and Bella were using Esme's giant dining table to play Snakes and Ladders. It had been a favorite for Bella when she was growing up with her mom, Renee, in Phoenix. Nessie had agreed to play thinking she was humoring her mom and that the simple board game wouldn't hold much interest for her level of intellect, when she saw that the throw of the die wasn't like playing chess, where her daddy could beat her by reading her mind, she began to have fun.

Edward was enjoying the game too. There was something about the act of the three of them sitting at a table laughing, teasing and generally being a family together. It felt comfortable, familiar, almost as if he remembered doing something similar with his own human parents. It was the closest he could imagine to being normal, and he was revelling in it.

The rest of the Cullen clan were temporarily fragmented. Carlisle had reluctantly used some vacation time and had taken Esme to her island for a fortnight. Rosalie had taken a leaf out of Esme's book of restoration and she and Emmett were now scouring junk yards, yard sales and house clearance auctions all over the state for hidden mechanical gems to restore then soup up and sell on. Of course, she didn't need the money, but it was a way to make sure the garage stayed relatively clear (a stipulation put in place by Carlisle). Jacob had gone with them to show her the best places to go for what she was looking for. Emmett had gone to keep the peace. Although there was still tension between them, it was put on hold for the love of mechanics and Rosalie found herself grudgingly imparting her knowledge to Jacob.

Alice and Jasper had gone into Seattle for the weekend. Alice had gone for the shops, Jasper for the archive section of the library. Since Bella's transformation she had become better friends with the most reticent of the Cullen family. Of course, he had been reticent for a reason when she was human. Now that Bella was a vampire he had companionably shown her what he had found through his journey into the past and it had intrigued her, but while Jasper's interest lay in political and military history, Bella was more interested in personal histories, especially the way peoples lives wove together to form communities. So she had begun research into Forks' history, journalising what she found along the way, intending to donate the journals to the small town museum for subsequent generations of researchers to use and add to.

The only Cullens left in the house were the three sitting round one end of the dining table. So, when the phone rang, they weren't expecting it.

Edward looked at the caller display and flipped it open.

"Hey, Edward."

"Hello Chief," he really did respect Charlie and tried to convey that whenever he could "how was fishing today?"

"Yeah, it was a good day." Charlie sounded distracted. "Is Bella there?"

"I'll get her for you" Edward held the phone out to Bella with a shrug.

"Hi Dad, what's up?" Bella almost heard her fathers thoughts ruffle like feathers when he heard her voice, it seemed new to him every time he heard it and it made her roughen her voice a little more in response.

"Hey Bells. How are you?" Charlie was just warming up.

"I'm good Dad." she could wait for the punch line. "Good catch today?"

"Not much biting. Still a good day though." He was nearly ready to get to his point, just a little more patience.

"Good. I'm glad you had a chance to relax." The sentiment was genuine, she was glad that Charlie was on good terms with Billy again.

"Bells. How would you feel about hanging out with your old man tomorrow? Just you and me?"

"Sure… err… What's brought this on?" Bella's interest was piqued.

"Well, I'm clearing out the attic and I thought you might want to look through some of Grandma Swann's things with me. I know you're interested in the town histories."

"That'd be great!" her tone more eager now, she didn't know Charlie had much left from her Grams "What time do you want me?"

"Oh, whenever you're free, honey." Charlie sounded relieved.

"Ok Dad. See you in the morning."

"Night Bells. Give Nessie a hug from her Gramps ok?"

Bella laughed her soft laugh "Will do. Bye."

Bella closed the phone and reached over to hug her daughter as promised "That's from Gramps." There was no need to repeat the conversation. All of them could hear Charlie as if he were on speaker phone.

The three of them finished their game and when Renesmee went to bed, Bella began preparations for seeing her human father the following day. She laid the clothes she would wear over a radiator, combats and a t-shirt (an old shirt finished the outfit), and turned it on at the highest setting. The outfit was chosen for the maximum amount of pocket space possible. She then went to the storage room at the back of the garage where the Cullens kept all the hiking gear and raided it for as many pocket warmers as she could find. Edward followed her, slightly confused and helped, by showing her where they were, when he figured out what she was after. He hunted with her before dawn; finally he rolled his eyes and said what was on his mind.

"This isn't going to work, my love."

"I have to at least try." She replied with a shrug, and they returned to the house hand in hand.

The next preparations surprised Edward. "Bella, vampires don't get dirty, and we don't sweat. Why are you taking a shower?" he asked her when he saw her heading in that direction in a fluffy, white bath robe and carrying a towel.

"We can't go near a naked flame, but we don't get burned or scalded like a human, do we?" Bella tilted her head to the side "I'm surprised you didn't think of that."

Edward's eyes traced the outline of her body for a moment "Would you like me to wash your back?" he whispered and leaned in to kiss her.

"Hmm. Perhaps another time." she ducked out of his arms before he could charm her into it and headed into the bathroom.

Following the shower, Bella used the hairdryer for its intended purpose then tried to retain some of the heat she had absorbed from the hot water by turning the nozzle on the rest of her body. She dressed in the newly warmed clothes, packed her pockets, including the shirt pockets and the ones in her bra, with the pocket warmers ready to use as and when required, and headed downstairs. It was almost 10am.

"Good morning sleepy head." Bella greeted Renesmee with a hug. It was unusual for her to sleep later than 8am. Edward was watching the goldfish that was Nessie's pet gobble up its breakfast. Nessie hugged her mom back.

"Mmm. You're warm Mommy!" she squeezed a little extra, clearly delighted with the added sensation. Edward turned toward them with raised eyebrows.

"I'm just on my way to see Charlie. Can you keep your dad company for me?"

"Sure! I'll let him teach me a new instrument." Nessie laughed.

"I'll have to find one you don't know first" Edward was beside his wife and put his arm around her shoulder. "You _are_ warm. Congratulations. Mission accomplished." He smiled at Bella and kissed her.

"Yuck!" Renesmee was as disgusted as any other child of 8 years would be upon seeing their parents openly display affection for each other. Yet, she was only thirteen months old.

"I just hope it lasts." Bella answered her husband. "I'm sure I won't be long." Then she headed toward her car in the garage, turned the engine on, turned the heat on full including the never before used heated steering wheel, and drove toward her old home.

* * *

**Tweaking done! Enjoy. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Bella pulled into the drive behind the police cruiser at Charlie's house. It was still the same; Charlie wasn't one for unnecessary change. _But then neither am I. _she mused, _so, why the sudden urge to de-clutter? _

Bella made her way to the door at a quick, walking, human pace. She analysed, as she approached, what she could hear; the bubble of the coffee pot, the rustle of a news paper as the pages were turned and the tinny voice of a radio talk show. Braced herself against the burning rake of thirst down her throat as she identified the scents to go with the sounds; the hot, pungent coffee, the print of the newspaper and the scent she both dreaded and cherished the most, Charlie. Setting aside the thirst, she studied his aroma, she could still smell the fresh, clear, water of his favorite lake on him as if it permeated his being. Somehow it reminded her of how Jacob had once smelled to her human nose (her friendship with him was another aspect of her human life she had faught to remember), although Jake's earthy, musky odour now turned her stomach because it was so much stronger to her heightened senses.

Bella knew that she wouldn't hurt her father, knew it in the core of her marble bones, but that didn't make the thirst any less of an issue. Nor was the threat to his life any less real. If, through some action on her part, he guessed right about what she had become, what the rest of the Cullens had been all along, his life was over, the Volturi would see to that. With this in mind, Carlisle and Edward had covered up her short pregnancy with a mystery illness and the resulting changes, always being cold to the touch and very pale, were attributed to Reynaud's disease. Bella knocked lightly on the door and concentrated on being as much like the "pre-illness" Bella as she could, although the one aspect of this she had the most difficulty with was the acknowledged clumsiness which had disappeared with the warmth.

"Door's open." Charlie called out.

"Hey Dad" Bella entered the small kitchen and made a bee line for the coffee pot "mind if I have one before we start?" she poured a cup & wrapped her hands around it.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" Charlie asked without looking up from the article that had captured his attention.

"Since it helps keep my hands warm" it was an honest answer, yet Charlie would take it as a reference to the Reynaud's.

"Knock yourself out. I'll be done with the paper in a minute."

Bella sat opposite her father cupping the coffee, waiting for him to finish reading and listening to the radio debate. This one was "Do supernatural beings exist?" she laughed quietly to herself as she listened to some of the points people were phoning in with. Knowing that he and Emmett would get a kick out of it, she sent a text to Jacob (Nessie's birthday present to him when he had turned 18 was a phone) with the FM number and subject, Emmett text back "This is hilarious! Thx for the tip-off".

"Well? You ready?" Charlie asked as he folded his paper and stood.

"Sure." Bella got up too and headed toward the stairs, remembering to make noise and shuffle a little. She heard Charlie pause to swallow the last of his coffee then follow her.

At the top of the stairs in front of the linen closet which was situated between Charlie's room and the bathroom, the pull down ladder leading to the attic had already been extended. A wealth of information assaulted Bella's nostrils; she paused, trying to identify all the smells; the wooden timbers of the roof frame, the fibre of the insulation, dust, moth balls, paper, cardboard, plastic, fabric… Why did Charlie have silk in the attic?

"I'll go up and get the light on for you." Charlie had mistaken the pause for apprehension of the darkened space of a room Bella had never before set foot in, _the old Bella would need to see so she wouldn't fall. _She reminded herself, dutifully waiting at the foot of the ladder for her father to turn the light on, and climbed the ladder.

Her head crested the lip of the trap-door and Bella gasped at what she saw. On one side of the attic were the various decorations that Charlie used every year to celebrate assorted annual events, from July 4th to Christmas, along with various items that were no longer used, but which had value none the less. On the other side were stacks of carefully labeled boxes and trunks, a clothes rail had white suit bags hanging from it to protect the contents from dust and moths, and paintings likewise covered against the dust and general grime of being in storage. There was more here than she would ever have imagined.

"So…" Charlie had noticed her astonished intake of breath. "This stuff at the front is yours, and mine from when I was growing up. Then we'll work back, ok?"

Charlie and Bella had spent the rest of the morning reminiscing about the holidays Bella had spent in forks and laughing about Charlie's early fashion choices. Around noon Bella made lunch for Charlie and clung to another hot cup of coffee whilst he ate. Then, when they went back up to the attic, there was a new sense of sober anticipation coming off of Charlie in waves.

They resumed their seats on a pair of travelling trunks and Charlie reached for the closest box marked Marie Swan. Perhaps the apprehension Charlie was displaying was because they were about to go through things that had once belonged to his mother, Bella surmised. Charlie lifted the lid and handed the box to Bella.

"You get your love of books from your Grams." Charlie reached into his back pocket and took out a large piece of paper folded like a road map. "She wrote quite a bit too. Those are her journals and diaries. There are sketches, poems, short stories, that sort of thing. She was never published but it's all there." He looked down and turned the paper over in his hands without opening it making Bella curious as to what it contained. He didn't look up as he continued talking "Her favorite stories to tell me at bed time were about a pale prince who came here from far away, centuries ago and loved the mountains and lakes so much that he tied his blood line to this land. He was forced to leave when his over-lord threatened his people if he didn't come back and fight for him. He took his bride with him and didn't come back. His name was Eala, Celtic for 'Swan'." Charlie straightened "I'm pretty sure my mom wrote it all down in there," he waved toward the box "it's pretty detailed. I was never really interested in any of it, you lived too far away when she was around to tell you the stories, and you were too young when she died. I've just sort of, let it slide." Charlie shrugged "I'm sorry for that."

"Thanks Dad. I'll take it home and read them with Nessie," Bella looked more closely at her father's awkward fidgeting. "What's that in your hand?" He looked at her with a furrowed brow but didn't say anything. "There's more to the stories than bed-time tales, isn't there dad?" Charlie nodded, "How much more?"

Charlie got up and clicked on a torch "Generations more." He said as he directed the beam back into the shadows beyond the stacks they were currently looking at. Bella stood and gawped at the three additional rows of boxes stacked five high. "the trunks we're sitting on came over with the first settlers who came after Robert Gray in the 1700s"

"Wow! I had no idea we had such an old family!" Bella sat down on the trunk again and remembered to breath again. "This is Awesome, Dad! It's going to make the rest of the histories much easier..." she trailed off. she didn't understand, Charlie hadn't relaxed as she had expected.

**I just realised that there was a huge section missing from this chapter. now added. enjoy. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**All characters and the world they inhabit are the creation of Stephanie Meyer. Except those of the Swan family tree beyond Marie Swan (Grams). **

**Ok, this is where I earn my keep. Hope you like it.**

**Charlie**

Charlie drew in a deep breath, _how do I tell her that she's related to the pack?_ He turned off the flash light and sat back down on the trunk looking at his daughter with a pained, pleading expression. Bella just wasn't getting it. He blew his breath out puffing his cheeks and tried a different way of breaking it to her.

"How far back did you go with your history classes?"

"History wasn't my best subject at school." She admitted, puzzled by the change in conversation.

"Well, before Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. Other Europeans found it in 850AD, Norsemen. You'd know them as Vikings." Now Charlie began to unfold the paper that was still in his hands, changed his mind and folded it again. "Leif Erikson was the leader of that voyage. The Norse had already been in Britain since 789 and Leif brought with him the sons of British and Celtic chieftains, both for their bravery in battle and as hostages against uprisings."

"The pale prince from Grams' stories?" Bella's jaw dropped "we're descended from Vikings?"

"No, we're descended from a Celtic prince." Charlie decided that it was time for that backup Billy had promised. "And a Quileute princess."

"What?" The question was quiet but clear.

"I think Billy's in a better position to tell you that side of it." Charlie stood.

"But, you haven't told me _this_ side of it!" Bella protested.

Making sure Bella was following, Charlie made his way down the ladder and out of the house pausing as he got to the door.

"Our side of it is in that box you're holding. Do you want to drive? I can get a lift with Billy if you want to take off after." Charlie had noticed it was nearly 4pm and Bella may well want to go straight home after sitting through the ton of information he and Billy were about to dump on her.

"Yeah, I'll drive Dad." She agreed and mechanically walked past him reaching into her pocket for her keys.

They arrived at Billy's place much sooner than Charlie thought they would.

"Hey Charlie" they were greeted warmly at the door "Bella." They were led to the minute living room and sat on the sofa.

There, draping like a table cloth over the edges of the coffee table was a vast web of a family tree.

"You remember, don't you?" Billy began "the legend of Taha Aki and his spirit warriors?"

"Of course, they were shape-shifters." Bella replied.

Charlie finally gave her the map-like paper he had been playing with all day.

"The legends speak of Many Sons. But, he did have a daughter. Before he chose the wolf, Taha Aki's first wife bore him a daughter."

Bella opened the paper in her hand, it was another family tree, it was a straight line, punctuated with names, leading directly from Renesmee to Eala, spanning eons.

"I've searched deep into our people's history. Leah's story is one of three legends of women in our tribe. Taha Aki's third wife is the second, Etenia Luyu is the first and it was nearly forgotten." Bella sensed the shift from Billy, her fathers' friend, to Billy the Clan Chief and legend keeper. "Etenia Luyu was considered very beautiful among our people. She had hair so black it rivalled a raven's wing, her eyes were rich like the earth of the forest and deep like the clear lakes of the mountain. And with those eyes she saw much.

"It is said that in the days before the cold ones, before the treachery of Utlapa. The pale people came, they were few, with very pale hair, eyes like the sky and they wore fur as if they knew what cold was.

"The leader of this small band said they had travelled for more than a year; he was much respected by the men who followed him, even though he was young, had a low voice and a humble way, this alone was enough for Taha Aki to welcome these weary travellers. The leader was the palest, he looked like the sun never touched him, even though it was summer and his pale warriors showed pink where the sun had burned them, and his pale yellow hair was plaited down his back and flowed in waves when it was loose. His name was Eala 'The Swan' in his language and he warned us about the coming of more of his kind. He said he was leading a party of exploration and that his lord would not be as gentle as he. The pale faces stayed among our people for a while, mending their equipment, helping us hunt and gather food in return for our help.

"Our people believe now that only those who become the wolf can imprint on their life-mate, but, the imprinting process has always been within us and sometimes it takes hold too strongly to ignore. When Etenia Luyu first saw Eala, he was travel stained and weary but she saw into his spirit and marvelled. Eala's love was slower to take shape but no less powerful, 'Swans mate for life' he told the chief and asked to take Etenia Luyu for his wife. 'I love this woman' he said 'I love this land as my own, were it not for the obligation to my people far to the east I would stay and call this my home.' Taha Aki saw the sincerity in the quiet young man, and although he grieved for the loss of his only daughter, he knew she would come to no harm so long as Eala lived.

"During the marriage ceremony, Eala took out a small ceremonial knife with a handle carved from white birch in the shape of a sleeping swan saying 'Lo, though I take a daughter from your tribe, I bind my blood to her,' He took her hand and pricked her finger, 'and to this tribe,' then pulled the blade across his own palm and touched the bead of blood from her finger to his cut, 'and to this land.' finally he bent and put his cut hand to the soil at their feet. 'Ever more shall my line find their way back to this home.' It was a solemn vow, bound by blood magic and the tribe was satisfied with the sacrifice he had made."

Bella sat stock still. Gaping at Billy in astonishment. Billy gazed steadily back at her.

Charlie spoke into the silence "That's why I couldn't follow you and your mom when you left, Bella." He suddenly seemed able to give voice to everything he had held in check for all the years he hadn't had Bella in his life. "It's why I came back here after my police academy training. It's why I've never loved anybody apart from Renee. Bella, it's why you hurt so much when Edward left." He saw her wince at the memory but carried on "it's why your friendship with Jacob couldn't grow into anything more, even though I could see, and so could Billy, that you wanted it to." Charlie reached out with his soul searching brown eyes and took Bella's stone hand in his "We've always been a small family. The name Swan was handed down double-barrelled through the women. There's a stipulation in the will of Peter Swan in 1800 that the name not be lost by marriage. I didn't know about that until now, but it's easy enough to rectify these days, and I won't hold you to it anyhow." Charlie frowned "Are you ok?"

Bella remembered to blink and breathe and act human once more as the information trickled through her swirling thoughts and started to colour the dim memories of her human past.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Bella**

Bella sat next to her father on Billy's small couch and stared blankly at the long page, full of names, all of whom she had never heard of before, and full of dates which literally bridged millennia.

"Yeah dad, I'm fine." Was the automatic response when she realised Charlie was talking to her. "I… I've gotta go." She got up woodenly and left the two men watching after her. She climbed into her car. _What am I doing?_ She thought _I can't go home without knowing all of it._ Edward would know something was wrong and demand an explanation she didn't yet have, and what could she expect from Edward when he found out she was part Quileute, however distant that part may be? Bella realised that this may be the first time she was truly afraid of Edward and his reaction.

Her cell phone rang.

"Bella. Why are you at La Push?"

"I'm fine Alice, I just need a little time to think. Did you know what Charlie was planning?"

"He wasn't decided about it until yesterday and I don't think anybody could have done anything about it, anyway."

"Do you think you can keep this to yourself for a while?"

"Make it quick Bella. Jasper and I are on our way home now, but we'll go hunting to let you talk to Edward."

"How long does that give me?"

"About three hours. We'll drive slow."

"Thanks Alice." Bella breathed a sigh of relief.

Bella drove the short distance to the beach. This had become her thinking spot since she had moved to Forks, this was where the pieces of the Edward puzzle had been laid out for her to slot together. It seemed right that she should choose this spot for fitting her own jigsaw together.

"Our side of it is in that box…" Charlie had said.

"Ok. Let's start there…" she said to herself. Still seated in the drivers' seat Bella lifted the lid once again on the Pandora's Box her father had given her. The scent of old paper, traces of lavender perfume still clinging to the place keeping ribbons in the journals, was that how Grams had smelled? The first thing she brought out was a worn copy of The Swan Princess. Bella felt a tug at her cloudy human memory. She should remember something about this book. Did her grandmother read it to her when she was very little?

There were sepia photographs with names and dates on the back, one of which had captured three generations of Swan women. Marie was the 6 year old, Alma was her mother, and Arabella was the eldest. All bore the name Swan; all had dark hair, the women both wore theirs up in a bun, but Marie… Bella could have been looking at her own daughter, of course the ringlets in the picture would have been styled and not as natural as Renesmee's, but the likeness was uncanny.

Bella found an envelope addressed to "My Darling Bella". In the upper left corner was her date of birth. Bella opened it with eyes pricking and a tight throat.

_" My Dearest Granddaughter Bella._

_Something in me says that I won't have the time with you that I need in order to tell you the stories and legends properly. _

_I've made your father promise to pass this box to you when you would be in a position to make the best use of it. _

_Take your time, my dear. There is a lot of information to absorb, use my journals as a road map if you will, a sort of "Lonely Planet" guide to the Swan lineage. Look through each of the boxes in the attic as I mention them in the journals. Start with mine, it's the oldest journal in the box and the newest box in the attic._

_I know there's a temptation to skip right to the end, or beginning in this case, of a mystery novel like this, but stay with it. There is a little piece of every person whom I write about inside you, that's a lot of people and you should get to know them. Some are funny, some are greedy, some seem to draw drama to them, some are just ordinary folks, some travelled the world, but they all came back to this small town in the __north west__ of __America__._

_I hope this isn't too much of a shock for you, my dear._

_I leave you with all my love._

_Yours truly,_

_Grams."_

**I know it's a little short. The next will be longer and slightly more explosive. **_  
_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Bella folded the page back into its envelope, once again smelling old paper and lavender perfume as the contents of the small box were disturbed. _I can see myself spending quite some time in that attic._ Bella thought to herself.

Even though she had the same abilities of speed as the rest of the vampire world, Bella felt that she needed time to absorb the information properly. To handle and spend time with the objects which linked her, and Renesmee, to the people who had owned and treasured each one. But, for now, it was time to go home, time for that daunting conversation with Edward. They could, perhaps, go through the boxes together as a family, that would be Edward's choice to make. _Surely it can't make that much of a difference to how he sees me? _ Bella tried to reassure herself _I'm still the same person, aren't I?_ She looked critically at her personality trying to ascertain if the information really had affected her. She didn't feel different, then again, she had only known about it for an hour, and she had only just scratched the surface.

"No." she stated to herself "I am no different." saying it aloud seemed to carve it into reality, as if she had made a conscious decision that it wouldn't alter her at all. The additional information was just that. Her personal history and past experiences could shape who she was. The pasts of previous generations of Swan couldn't.

With that thought firmly in mind, she started the car and headed home. To the man she would love for eternity and the daughter she cherished more than her own life.

**Edward**

Edward watched as his wife and, by a miracle, the mother of his child, shut her car door and drove away. It wasn't the car he had originally bought for her. He had finally relented on everything apart from the colour and speed, also Bella wasn't allowed to ask how much it had cost. The Porsche Panamera 4S was cornflower blue, the same colour he had found so attractive against her pale human complexion. It suited her down to the ground, there were 4 doors so they could go places as a family, it was low key enough to not make her the centre of attention and as per Edwards stipulations, it had a top speed of 282km/h.

Edward sighed as he thought about the day ahead without her. He then turned to his daughter (he still marvelled at the concept) with a wry smile.

"What shall we do today, Nessie?" he quoted a cartoon she used to watch.

"Why, the same thing we do every day, Daddy" she grinned back "plan to take over the world!" They turned and headed back into the house from the garage.

"Can I start school soon?" it was a frequent question, one that always reminded Edward of the loneliness his unique daughter would always feel to some extent. Renesmee wanted to go to school, not to learn, but to mix with children. Her self control wasn't as much of an issue as was the rapid and constant change. "I've hardly grown at all this week." She put her hand in his and the images he had read from her mind of herself playing with other girls were re-enforced with the images she projected.

"We'll talk about it when Carlisle gets back, alright?" Edward knew what it would mean.

"Maybe we don't have to move everybody." So did Renesmee. "Maybe it could be just you and Mommy and me. And we wouldn't really have to move very far, would we? I could still see Grandpa Charlie on weekends and stuff, right?"

"We'll see, Nessie." He put a note of finality into his voice. "For now, what musical instrument would you like to learn? Or would you like a game of Snakes and Ladders?"

"Would you play piano for me please Daddy?" there was disappointment in her face, but she knew not to push the issue. "I like watching when you play."

"Of course I will, with the condition that you play a duet with me after. I like watching you play too."

They passed the remainder of the morning at the piano, either watching each other or playing duets, sometimes improvising, sometimes playing off one another. Renesmee grew bored around mid-day "Can we go outside?"

Edward looked at the sky. The clouds were a high, pale sheet in some places, fluffy looking mountains in others. There were breaks where the sun shone through but there was enough coverage that a chance encounter with a hiker wouldn't be an issue. "Yes we can." He smiled at his daughter "Where would you like to go? Would you like to go hunting?"

"No. It's more fun with Jake around." Nessie confessed "Can we go to the lake? Or maybe we could go to the meadow?"

"The meadow might be the wiser choice today. It's a little cold for swimming in the lake."

"I don't feel the cold." She protested, of course the minute he said "no" to the lake Nessie wanted to go there.

"Hmm. How about a compromise?" Edward suggested. "We can go to the lake, but not to swim. If a human saw you swimming they might think I was a bad parent for letting you go in the cold water."

"That sounds reasonable." Nessie agreed "Can I take my guitar?"

"Good idea."

With that, they took a picnic blanket and other props from the storage room and headed out on foot at a faster than human walking pace, enjoying the fresh scent an autumnal shower of rain earlier that day had left behind. They were at the lake within an hour, the average human would have taken three. The pair could see a small boat out on the water and the trio fishermen waved a welcome as they set out their "picnic".

Renesmee sat down cross-legged on the blanket and ran through a series of scales in preparation for playing. Edward adopted a similar pose across from her and got out a book on aviation to read. Another two hours passed, Edward had long since finished his book. He was laying back on the blanket listening to Nessie as she engrossed herself in her music and letting his mind wander to the topic he had been contemplating for some time.

Since the arrival of Renesmee, Edward had begun to feel the need for a way of life much more independent from Carlisle and the rest of his adopted family. As much as he loved them, he felt he should be solely responsible for the nucleus of his universe. He wanted them to be a self-contained family, as any human family would be. Even though he knew nobody begrudged them the cottage or the use of the family millions, Edward wanted to provide for Bella and Nessie himself, the only question was how. The puzzle had eluded him until Nessie's attempt at persuasion. She was right, they didn't have to move far enough to break the connection to Carlisle and Charlie, the three of them only had to move far enough that gossip wouldn't follow them. Seattle was only a couple of hours' drive, the distance was ideal but cities weren't a good idea. Port Angeles was another option, but what would he do to earn money when they got there?

The phone in his pocket vibrated, he looked at the caller id. "Alice?"

"We're on our way home." She stated with a snip in her voice. "Just in case you care!" and she hung up. Edward sighed _That's going to be a sticking point._

Nessie was too caught up in music to have paid attention.

"Time to go home princess." Edward said and gently shook one of her knees to bring her out of her reverie.

Renesmee reluctantly, though carefully, put her guitar back in its case then helped her father gather up the picnic things and they headed home. With Nessie still composing in her head and Edward still making plans for the future it was a quiet walk.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Bella**

Pulling into the garage Bella saw Edward waiting for her at the door leading into the house. Hoping her face didn't betray the apprehension creating a knot in her stomach she got out of the car and ran full speed into his waiting arms.

"Missed you." He said it so low it was barely above a whisper and it was muffled by her hair as he curled around her. She clung tighter in response, momentarily as lost for words as she was in the depths of her love for him. He was always the one to end their reveries and she usually acknowledged the demands of the outside world without protest, but today Bella held on for a moment longer knowing that the next hour or so would be painful. Edward chuckled "I assume that you missed me too." He teased then put his arms back around her. Finally Bella let go of all but his hand and turned to go inside.

"Where's Renesmee?" Bella asked when she noticed the absence of her daughter.

"She's upstairs in my old room writing guitar music." He smiled at the memory of Nessie's face and the far-away look she had gained on the walk back to the house. "It's for Jacob, although she doesn't know it. He's been in the background of her thoughts all day."

"Jake will love that!" Bella laughed then went quiet.

"How did your day with Charlie go?"

She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Can we go to the cottage? I need to talk to you."

"Of course." He said, a small frown passed fleetingly across his face.

When they got to the cottage, Bella moved around tidying away books and clothes. Edward was sitting in what had become 'his' chair watching her set a driftwood fire in the fireplace. "Bella, it can't be that bad. Just tell me."

Bella took a steadying breath, puffed it out and sat in the chair opposite the one Edward was occupying. "I don't know where to start" she confessed.

"Why don't you start with today? What was in the attic?" He looked at her encouragingly.

Instead of taking Edwards queues, which would have been the intelligent way to go about it, Bella found herself blurting "Edward, I'm part Quileute."

There was utter silence, Edward had stopped breathing in shock, Bella had stopped breathing in anticipation the only sound was the crackle of the fire. "Edward?"

"I don't understand." He rasped out. "Who told you that?" he thought someone was playing a strange joke on Bella.

"My dad, and Billy, and my Grandmother."

"Go back to today. I can't make sense of it."

"Well, Charlie and I were in the attic laughing at old pictures of him. After lunch he got all serious, handed me a box full of Grams' journals and turned a flashlight on stacks and stacks of boxes. He started telling me about a family legend to do with our origins. There was a pale prince from the east who Charlie said was a Celt. Then he said that this Celtic prince had married a Quileute princess and taken her back home with him, at which point we went to La Push and Billy told me about her." Bella paused to check Edward's reaction. He seemed less shocked now, more interested in the story. So, she continued "I needed time to absorb the information so I took off to First Beach. I still had Grams' box so I opened it" she reached into her back pocket, reminded of Charlie performing the same gesture with the folded up family tree, and handed the letter from her Grandmother to her husband. He took it, read it carefully then put it reverently back in the envelope with a thoughtful expression.

"Would you mind if I help in the attic?" he said finally. "I'd understand if you'd rather do it alone"

"Wait. You're not mad at me?" Bella could barely believe her luck.

"How could I be angry with you?" he asked, puzzled. "You can't help your ancestry. Besides, I'm much more level-headed where the Quileute are concerned than I used to be." He thought of something and smiled "I'm intrigued to find out how you avoided the 24th genome that goes with the wolf DNA."

Edwards face became sincere, he slipped from his seat onto his knees before her and took both of her hands in his "Bella, after everything that's happened to us, after having to fight so hard to keep us together. Do you really think I would let such a minor thing as this come between us?"

She smiled back, relief washing over her like a soothing balm "Maybe it just got diluted out?"

Bella pulled her phone out of her pocket when she felt it vibrate. "It's ok Alice, you can come home now."

"Oh, I know. We'll be in the main house with Nessie. Edward has something he wants to talk to you about" She said cheerily.

Edward rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Edward**

Bella looked expectantly at him where he still knelt before her. He was nervous he realised, almost as nervous as when he had proposed to her. He smiled to himself as he thought about the position he was in.

"I have a proposition for you." He said then raised himself back into his chair.

"We're already married." Bella laughed.

"Yes and I can't tell you how happy and fortunate it makes me feel to have you by my side." Bella cast her eyes evasively downward; her human self would have blushed to hear him openly confess his love for her this way.

He pressed on "Do you remember when we first met how I talked about the human emotions you awakened within me?" Bella frowned and bit her lower lip in concentration for a moment then nodded. "Well, I've always felt very protective of you and since Renesmee came along I've been thinking" he saw her frown again.

"I'm worried now." She stated with a sideways look. Edward smiled wryly as he acknowledged how his over analysis had sometimes caused both of them pain.

"It's alright I don't think this idea will cause any harm, except from Alice who may well want to disown me."

"So, what is it?"

"How would you feel about moving away?" There was silence while the question registered with her "What are you thinking?" he asked inevitably.

"What would we do for money? And game? And neighbours?" She was running through everything that could go wrong in her head. They were the same questions he had been going over himself.

Edward studied the thoughtful expression on her face and followed up quickly with the reassurances he had developed today. "We wouldn't have to go more that a couple hours' drive from here, so weekend visits wouldn't be a problem. Nessie could go to school you know how much she wants to interact with other children. The three of us could live like a relatively normal family."

Bella held up a hand to interrupt and looked searchingly into his eyes "Why do you want this so badly?"

"Is it wrong for a man to want to provide for his family on his own terms?" Edward replied "I've been a teenager for over a hundred years, it's time I stopped mooching off my family" he said with a broad grin.

The grin faded "It boils down to a very basic desire to take care of you and my daughter. I've never had that experience and Renesmee will be a child for such a short time that I want to enjoy it with her. Now, I was hoping to gain your input as to how to tackle the issues you raised. I think I could turn my hand to just about anything to earn money, we could ask Carlisle for some start up capital. I think if we dress older we could pass as college leavers. We stick to the story about Nessie being my niece." Edward poured his longing into his eyes "What do you say Mrs Cullen? Will you think about it?"

A glazed expression passed briefly over her eyes then Bella blinked "Of course I'll think about it."

Edward stood and scooped his wife up out of her seat into a triumphant embrace. "That's all I ask." He kissed her long and deep and passionately. For the second time in two days she pulled away from him before they could get carried away, he frowned. This wasn't like Bella at all.

"We've got to go talk to Renesmee and Alice." She reminded him, although the wild, fiery look in her keen, amber eyes told him they would continue this particular line of thought later.

They stood in each others arms for a moment feeling their ardour calm to smouldering coals as they listened to the crackle of the flames in the hearth. "Come then." Edward strode briskly to the door "The sooner we're there the sooner we're back." He grinned at her again "race you." He said and was already running. Bella laughed aloud and glided out behind him.

Edward heard the approach behind him and turned to look. He was caught off guard as he saw her and he slowed to watch, the movement of her limbs was so smooth and graceful she looked like she was skating on ice. The baggy clothes she wore clung against her slender form and wisps of hair that had escaped the utilitarian braid flew behind her like a strip of mahogany bunting. There was a look of glee on her face as she over took him and the chime of her laughter followed on the wind.


	10. Chapter 10

**Just between you and me.**

**Hello Ladies (all my "fans" seem to be female). I sort of abandoned "Being Swan" a good while ago. I've just had a request for more material. Now, I do have some ideas where this story could go and rather than inflict something on you all that you don't want to read, I thought I'd get a general consensus. My question to you is, Should I resurrect "Being Swan" or let it rest in peace? Majority vote gets it done. Thanks for your time. **


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